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First Onsite Property Restoration, has released its winter preparedness guides—providing seasonal advice for commercial and residential property owners, residents, and property managers. With the official start of winter less than a week away, winter-like weather has already shown up in the early days of December, with Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia experiencing winter’s gamut, including  snow, freezing rain, extreme cold, and massive snow squalls.

The Farmer’s Almanac  (Canada), calls for a “season of rain and snow with not much downtime.” La Niña is expected to bring below-normal temperatures from east of the Rockies to Ontario, with the coldest period in January and February when frigid Arctic air brings a sharp plunge in temperatures—especially across the prairies. Above normal temperatures are expected across Quebec and the Maritimes, while British Columbia will be unseasonably chilly.

“Colder temperatures bring a greater need for awareness surrounding potential property damage and the challenges winter can present,” said Jim Mandeville, First Onsite Property Restoration senior vice president of large loss, North America. “It’s never too late to inspect and prepare your property to withstand the harshest weather conditions.”

2024 saw record insured losses from weather catastrophes
As we get set for the winter months, Canada’s weather-related insurance losses are continuing to soar. The summer of 2024 was the  in Canada, with a national average temperature that was 1.7°C above the baseline average. Meanwhile, summer 2024 smashed records for severe weather damage. Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) estimated more than $7 billion in insured losses from floods, fires, and hailstorms, and the Insurance Bureau of Canada has called on governments to collaborate on reducing disaster risk.

Canadians worried about winter weather
An annual coast-to-coast weather worries survey of 1,506 Canadians is commissioned by First Onsite Property Restoration each spring to highlight yearlong weather concerns. The 2024 survey asked Canadians about disasters and how concerned they were about weather-related issues.

• 63% of Canadians fear winter storms.
• 60% fear severe rains and flooding.
• 58% fear extreme cold, freezing, and burst pipes.
• 73% are concerned about climate change related weather.

Property threats
Drilling down, the survey also asked people what they felt were the top threats to their property during severe weather events.

• 79% feared for personal or family safety.
• 72%  are worried about the cost of major renovations and repairs.
• 64% are concerned about their level of preparedness in the event of a disaster.
• 61% fear the development of mold.
• 60%  are worried about the level of their insurance coverage.

Indeed, it seems the concerns are justified as the three major contributors to winter weather property damage are water damage, ice damage, and power outages. To mitigate these risks, First Onsite’s guide to  suggests that preparedness is key.

Preventing winter storm damage is also critical for commercial properties. First Onsite provides a , encouraging property owners to routinely check building access, pipes and meters, roofs, seal openings, generators, boilers, fire hydrants, and more.

Seasonal property damage affects everyone, regardless of geographic region. Areas typically hit with snow run into a myriad of issues, but these properties were built with material that keeps the changing seasons in mind. Places with warmer temperatures that don’t historically get hit by snowfall are now faced with unpredictable weather and building materials that cannot withstand the events that occur.

See full survey tables below, including findings by region: